SpaceX Updates (Thread 4): F9, FH & Dragon

[IsItPluggedIn]

"The uploader has not made this video available in your country." That is annoying.

 

Although its good to hear they are thinking about this kind of thing and building towards it, I wish they were further along in the testing. Another 10 years or so for flights to Mars, I wish it was more like 5 years.

[DocM]

Try this link outside the US

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TFvCy_x8dc

And as stated - the first parts of the path to Mars, the big Raptor methane engine, is going to start tests at NASA Syennis very soon.

Methane engines are important because methane fuel can be made from abundant materials on Mars itself. Ditto water (which hivrs you hydrogen and oxygen) and making methane gives you more water. That way you don't need to carry the return propellants with you.

[SarK0Y]

Jeez, Mars??? :) what about next launches onto boring Earthy orbits???

 

IsItPluggedIn,

use Tor to avoid ip discriminations ;)

[DocM]

As noted in the CRS-3 thread, the current delay in CRS-3 has its roots in NASA wanting power mods to Dragon to run more refrigeration units, the bad US weather (record snow, ice, high winds, bitter cold) preventing the first stage from shipping by truck, and a busy Visiting Vehicle schedule at ISS.

With >3,800 employees as of Oct. 2013 and still rapidly expanding SpaceX can indeed walk and chew gum at the same time.

[SarK0Y]

commercial launches?

[DocM]

2 geostationary launches in the last several weeks, SES-8 and Thaicom 6, and a simultaneous launch of 8 ORBCOMM OG2 commsats after CRS-3.

[Beittil]

SpaceX booked another flight for SES, a FH this time!

 

 

 

 PARIS ? Satellite fleet operator SES, which in December launched the first geostationary-orbiting satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9, on Feb. 20 said it would launch a much larger satellite aboard SpaceX?s Falcon Heavy rocket in 2016.

 

http://www.spacenews.com/article/satellite-telecom/39558ses-books-a-spacex-falcon-9-heavy-for-2016-launch

[DocM]

Expect more big news in a couple of weeks :)

[FloatingFatMan]

Expect more big news in a couple of weeks :)

 

Will Elon be reporting live from Mars? :p

[DocM]

Not yet :D

[FloatingFatMan]

Not yet :D

 

Damn, such a slacker!

[DocM]

We should be hearing more on Raptor and the big HUGE new rocket soon since Propulsion VP Tom Mueller spilled half the beans.

You should see the private forum discussions amongst aerospace engineers from California to Russia ("WHAT?!".."HOLY CR*P!".."WTF!"..etc.), including NASA people. Now they're burning up their simulators.

[FloatingFatMan]

Well... You could always quote one or two... Suitably redacted of course... ;)

[DocM]

Can't yet because of a private forum embargo rule. Once it releases I post, and believe me it's hard holding some stuff back. Right now I'm holding Raptor engine specifics.

[FloatingFatMan]

Look into my eyes... You are feeling sleepy... your will is leaving you... You are floating... Your will is mine...  You will give me the engine info....

 

 

[DocM]

:)

Straight from SpaceX,

Dragon launch CRS-3 to ISS is still on for March 16,

The Falcon 9 for the CRS-3 flight WILL have the F9R landing legs. After MECO and second stage separation its first stage will attempt re-entry and a soft touchdown at sea. Success is not really expected, but if it fails the data will be invaluable for the next try. If it works expect an internet geek-gasm.

In addition, F9R-1 (AKA Grasshopper 2) will be attempting a suborbital flight at SpacePort America in New Mexico after one test hop at McGregor TX, also testing recovery technologies but with a land touchdown. No time table yet.

Info on the new Raptor specs and its big frickin' rocket is still being gathered. Hopefully more soon.

[FloatingFatMan]

Well, at least it got SOME news outta ya! :p

 

About time they tested with the legs... Hope I can catch the launch live.  Best of luck to them, though! :)

[DocM]

You have no idea how hard it is not tho post the discussions that are going on.

The 1 million lbs thrust per engine and that there'll be 9 Raptors in the first stage is public. This gives one core 9 million lbs thrust vs. 7.62 million for Saturn V. We don't know if there'll be a 3-core, 27 engine version like Falcon Heavy.

The general engine type is a staged combustion using methane for fuel, but that's all I can say. There are very intetesting particulars still under wraps.

[flyingskippy]

Dragon launch CRS-3 to ISS is still on for March 16.

The Falcon 9 for the CRS-3 flight WILL have the F9R landing legs. After MECO and second stage separation its first stage will attempt re-entry and a soft touchdown at sea.

I am crossing my fingers and hoping they keep that launch date! I see a trip to Cape Canaveral in my near future!

That is quite an announcement too with the Raptor engine.

[Beittil]

The Falcon 9 for the CRS-3 flight WILL have the F9R landing legs. After MECO and second stage separation its first stage will attempt re-entry and a soft touchdown at sea. Success is not really expected, but if it fails the data will be invaluable for the next try. If it works expect an internet geek-gasm.

 

 

Did they fail to get permission to try and touchdown on land or were they going for the ocean anyway? I guess if they can get it to touch down slow enough they could go out there and pluck it from the ocean.

[DocM]

They had talked about a land touchdown, but decided landing tests with Grasshopper 2 at SpacePort America in New Mexico first would make the FAA feel better.

[Beittil]

Btw, doesn't NASA see it as an issue that SpaceX is using the rocket of 'their' payload for such experimentation?

 

I can imagine that in case the rocket should fail and it was because of those attached legs... NASA wouldn't be to happy losing the Dragon with their cargo over it!

[DocM]

They have seen the tech and not objected. The lower leg attachments are similar to the launch hold-downs, there are fairings to direct airflow past the top latches and the top latches are robust, so....

Also, NASA and the USAF both stand to gain a lot from launcher reusability in terms of reduced launch costs. They've never been able to get this close to testing it due to Congress not funding it to the end.

These pics show how they'll look on the Falcon family.

[flyingskippy]

Dragon doesn't need the full capability of the rocket to get to Leo either. Once second stage separation occurs, the rentry test on the booster stage doesn't have any affect on the rest of the launch. As long as they don't collude that is...

[DocM]

The only real risk to Dragon, and NASA's mission, is if a leg were to break loose before separation. I'd bet those attachments and releases are designed with built-in redundancy so that can't happen.